Thousands of Tri-Cities students forced indoors Monday by bad air after massive fire

Eric Rosane
·2 min read
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Benton County Sheriff’s Office said roads in the area had been closed. They included Piert Road from Lechelt Road to Bowles Road and Bowles Road from Lechelt Road to Finley Road.

Schools nearest to a smoldering Tri-Cities warehouse fire began moving classes and recesses indoors Monday as air quality worsened.

A huge fire erupted early Sunday morning at the Lineage Logistics cold storage warehouse in Finley, east of Kennewick. As parts of the 525,000-square-foot facility began collapsing, hot embers spread, sparking several brush fires.

On Monday morning, neighborhoods closest to the fire were blanketed by a thick layer of smoke, shifting the air quality from “good” to “moderate” in Burbank and “unhealthy for sensitive groups” in Kennewick. The air in Pasco also was deteriorating.

Washington Department of Ecology recommends people sensitive of air quality or with respiratory issues to limit time outside and avoid strenuous outdoor activity when the Air Quality Index falls in “moderate” territory.

Finley School District Superintendent Bryan Long said they were limiting lunch, recess and PE for the rest of the day at Finley Middle School and River View High School.

Finley Elementary’s air quality was clear.

“We’ll continue to monitor the situation. If the smoke makes the air quality too poor, we will move everything indoors,” Long told the Tri-City Herald.

The district will make a decision by 2 p.m. on whether or not to proceed with after-school activities.

Pasco School District administrators told building leaders to keep all students indoors for the morning at more than two dozen school campuses.

“Many of our schools are experiencing unhealthy levels of smoke, making it unsafe for students to be outside,” district administrators wrote in an alert.

“We are closely monitoring the outdoor air quality throughout the day and will provide schools with updates as needed. Your understanding and cooperation are greatly appreciated as we prioritize the well-being of our school community.”

Fire crews were still on scene Monday morning at the Finley warehouse fire.

Benton County Fire District 1 said in a Facebook post that the fire would continue “smoldering and putting off smoke for a few days.”

The fire started around 5:15 a.m. Sunday in a freezer at the Lineage Logistics cold storage facility at 224905 E. Bowles Road, east of Kennewick, fire officials say.